Happy New Year from Maureen O’Shay Photography

12.28.18

How is it actually the last few days of 2018? This year seemed to fly by!

Over the last year, I have been creating a more in-depth Senior Experience and finally it is coming to fruition. If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed the shift. In fact, Instagram does this thing called “#top9” – it is the 9 most liked posts in a year. Eight of the “top 9” most liked photos were of senior clients – it has not always been that way.

In 2010, I started Maureen O’Shay Photography for several reasons. I wanted to go back to work, but make my own hours because my daughters girls were so little. I wanted to be creative, work with other people and, be in charge (yes, I said it!).

Photography was a great fit because I loved documenting my own family and always love learning new things. But after 7 years of photographing [mostly] families, I wanted to mix it up a bit. Slightly terrified and excited at the same time, I posted a model call for seniors in the spring of 2017 crossed my fingers and got to work.

Sweet Hannah Embrey was the first senior model I photographed. I had photographed the Embrey Family the year before but I was, although prepared, so nervous. Turns out, the session went really well – like really, really well!

And it got better. Over the next year, I received feedback from the senior parents telling me that I helped their child feel confident, relaxed, and beautiful. And they loved the whole experience I had worked hard to create for each and every client. It was an ah-ha moment for me, for sure. This senior photography part of my business was not just about the pretty pictures, but also about helping the senior see what the world sees in them. What their parents and friends see. What I see.

Knowing all that – knowing how much this experience can positively impact my clients, in 2019, we are taking this empowerment thing to the next level! I recently launched a senior team called Team EmpowHER for my class of 2020. A fantastic group of my past clients and their best friends helped me pull off an epic photoshoot to announce it (see below!).

Team EmpowHER members will have their individual senior portrait session with me and a fun group photoshoot, but also throughout the year, they will have access to empowering opportunities like access to a college application prep expert, self defense class, professional makeup lessons and opportunities to speak with mentors. All designed to help them launch into the next phase of their life with confidence. I can not wait! It really is a Happy New Year!

Team EmpowHER is open to any class of 2020 student in the Houston area. The deadline to apply, as you might have guessed, is midnight on December 31st – click here to apply.